After spring break, some of us might feel rejuvenated and ready to finish the semester strong. However, others of us might be feeling burned out still or unmotivated—or even both. While it is common to coast through the rest of the semester post-break, that can be mentally debilitating. Instead, rather than just focusing on finishing school, find the joy that comes from being more engaged on campus. 

We aren’t talking about picking up a new hobby or partaking in your current extracurriculars; rather, find something that you can be passionate about or have fun with while connecting and engaging with other members of the Case Western Reserve University community.

CWRU has a reputation for being a school that feels very disconnected from its wide multitude of communities. In other words, it feels like we all just happen to be here at the same time taking the same classes, with nothing binding us as a university community. For underclassmen, we know it can be difficult to be actively present within the campus community. It’s easy to get absorbed in the hectic nature of classes, establishing yourself in clubs, volunteering, preparing for summer opportunities and more to set yourself apart and up for the years ahead. We aren’t saying those aspects of your college experience aren’t important or necessary; however, your early years at CWRU are when you should be going out and making the most of the university’s many diversions. Doing something outside of academics, including resume-building activities, house parties and social gatherings on the weekends can be rewarding. Go to those campus events beyond Thwing Study Over during finals week or be involved with inner-campus workings—being engaged on campus might make being at CWRU more enjoyable beyond just tolerating it for the academics and people. Even if it’s going to one athletic game during the semester or attempting to dance at Noche Latina at Jolly Scholar, there are things you can do to make sure you always have something to look forward to.

For upperclassmen, maybe you feel it’s too late to become involved on campus—but being involved doesn’t necessarily mean actively being a part of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) or even attending every single campus event. In fact, you can be involved in the same way underclassmen can. Again, that can mean participating in Homecoming Weekend activities or going to a play hosted by the Department of Theater. 

There are tons of things to do at CWRU that have so much potential to be entertaining. For instance, there are the Hudson Relays, the oldest official tradition on campus where you can run, cheer or just celebrate at Jolly Scholar. Alternatively, you could attend a CWRU softball game, especially since the team is doing well at the moment. Perhaps even tag along to an IMPROVment performance during the weekend on campus. If you’re someone who leans into the activist facet of campus, go to a USG General Assembly, even if you aren’t involved with the organization, and voice your concerns about our university.

If we all start attending events or being involved with campus, we can collectively make our campus a more lively one. While anyone can be involved in contributing to these events—whether it’s being on the SpringFest committee or any other student engagement planning committee—being engaged on campus does not have to be a dreaded time commitment. 

Furthermore, being involved beyond attending fun campus events also does not have to be a huge time commitment. This includes writing for The Observer, where you can write punchy pieces about student life on campus or delve into your experiences at CWRU so you can discuss the challenges within the community or anything else you are passionate about.

We are all familiar with the stress of school, the difficulties of personal relationships or the overwhelming anxious feeling of what we are going to do in the future. However, what we are not familiar with is how our campus can be fun and enjoyable instead of tolerable. So, the next time you see something going on around campus, you might consider exploring it. Who knows, you might meet a new friend, start your own semesterly tradition or make your own impact on our university.